Forbes Staffers Move to Unionize
Editorial staffers at Forbes say they have moved to unionize with the NewsGuild of New York, “joining our peers such as Fortune Magazine, Reuters and The New Yorker.” “The Forbes Union sent a letter to management announcing that we have organized with the NewsGuild of New York with more than 80% of support. With a supermajority of our newsroom standing behind this movement, we asked Forbes to honor our right to organize by voluntarily recognizing us,” says a note at the Forbes Union website. Talking Biz News has a statement from Forbes on the effort. Forbes management has told organizers that they won’t voluntarily recognize the unit and instead will force organizers to have an election, says a May 21 Tweet from Forbes Union.
Papers Having Trouble Filling Delivery Jobs
The Gannett-owned Journal & Courier (Lafayette, Indiana) and Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois) are having trouble finding enough delivery drivers. “Throughout the USA Today Network, which has more than 250 publications in various cities, about 10% of the routes overall are currently open. In some cities, the situation is more dire, and it’s having an impact on our longtime subscribers,” says the Journal & Courier. The papers are aggressively recruiting for carriers, they say. Compensation has been boosted and sign-on bonuses are now part of the deal, says the Journal & Courier. Are you having trouble finding delivery drivers? Let us know at editors@newsandtech.com.
Gannett Sells Times Herald-Record Building
Gannett has sold the Times Herald-Record building at the corner of Mulberry and Fulton streets, the paper (Middletown, New York) reported. The paper has relocated to a rented space in the town of Wallkill. The building sold in October 2020 for $825,000 to Mulberry JD, a company with a Brooklyn address, according to the Middletown Assessor’s office, says the paper. The 50,000-square-foot building went on sale in fall 2019, listed at $2.1 million. Commercial real estate firm Bell Cornerstone handled the sale.
Tribune Publishing Shareholders Approve Alden Buy; Headlines Downcast
As industry watchers knew was on tap, Tribune Publishing shareholders voted Friday to approve hedge fund Alden Global Capital’s $633 million buy of the chain. The deal is expected to close by June 30, says the Chicago Tribune. It will take Tribune Publishing private and make Alden the second-largest newspaper owner in the country. Gannett is No. 1. Reaction has been unenthusiastic in some quarters. “Today, Tribune Publishing shareholders voted to put profit and greed over local news in our country,” reads a joint statement from NewsGuild’s Tribune newsrooms. “America’s rich people could have saved local journalism — and perhaps democracy. They refused” read a column head in The Washington Post.
“‘Vulture’ fund Alden Global, known for slashing newsrooms, buys Tribune papers” said NPR. “‘Sad, sobering day’ for Chicago Tribune as Alden wins takeover bid,” read a headline on Chicago media watcher Robert Feder’s blog. Others were more muted. “Not going anywhere: Under Alden Global Capital’s ownership, the Daily News will keep doing what it has always done,” said the New York Daily News.
DPG Media Works with QIPC in The Hague
DPG Media has moved to automate their 6-tower KBA Commander press at their facility in The Hague, The Netherlands, with a full automation package from Q.I. Press Controls (QIPC), a specialist for measurement and control systems for the printing industry. With this order, all three Dutch print facilities of DPG Media will be fully automated by QIPC’s solutions. DPG Media is the largest media company in The Netherlands with a portfolio of national, regional and local titles. “An extension of the press automation was essential to continue our printing operations in The Hague,” said Ruud de Klerk, director of DPG Media. “Not only to secure overall quality standards, but also to improve our efficiency.”
Nielsen, Boston Globe Media Doing Diversity, Inclusion Brand Study
Nielsen and Boston Globe Media Partners are doing a custom and proprietary cross-platform study. The study will enable the media organization, particularly The Boston Globe, to develop a deeper understanding of its readers and potential subscribers, says a press release on the study. Nielsen will conduct interviews across a diverse range of ethnicities, ages, gender identities and socio-economic backgrounds and will provide potential strategies for the organization and its advertising partners to develop more engaging content and attract new audiences.
“We are at a transformative moment in the media industry,” said Peggy Byrd, chief marketing officer at Boston Globe Media. “To ensure that we reflect the rich diversity of our city and region, we want to invite our readers and potential readers in by activating stronger relationships with our brands within the communities we serve. By leveraging Nielsen’s data, insights, and its accurate representation of diverse audiences, we’ll develop a deeper understanding of our true market characteristics and will be in an even better position to serve our communities with content that resonates and drives stronger engagement.”
More News
- The American Forest & Paper Association has released its April 2021 Printing-Writing Monthly report. According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased three percent in April compared to April 2020. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers decreased six percent in April compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased two percent when compared to March 2021.
- Conde Nast and Verizon Media have made a deal where Conde Nast will produce videos for Yahoo sites, Adweek reports. Earlier this month it was announced that parent company Verizon is selling Verizon Media to equity firm Apollo Global Management for $5 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
News & Tech is the premier resource for insight, analysis and technology integration in newspaper, magazine, digital and hybrid operations and production. News & Tech is written by industry experts and read by publishers and executive decision-makers.
